Electrical apparatus bushing



Jan. 26, 1960 D. E. RAUDABAUGH 2,922,927-

ELEC'TRICAL APPARATUS BUSHING Filed March 29, 1956 s sheets-sheet 1 '6 Fig. 3 l "1.a

INVENTOR. D.E.Roudobaugh.

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 26, 1960 Filed March 29, 195e D. E. RAUDABAUGH ELECTRICAL APPARATUS BUSHING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

D. ERoudobaugh.

Mmmm

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 26, 1960 D. E. RAUDABAUGH 2,922,927

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS BusHrNG 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 29, 1956 INVENTOR. D.E.Roudobough.

ATTORNEY.

limitedg States Patent 2,922,927 ELEIVCTRICALAPPARATUS UsinNG Donald E. Raudabaugh, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a 'corporation of New Jersey 'Application March 29, 1956, serial No. 574,919 4 claims. (c1. 317-12) in order to obtain the desired total electrical capacity.

capacitors, referred to above, present certain problems which, in many respects, are peculiar to the capacitor art alone. Particularly, the capacitors are permanently connected to the lines with which they are associated and form a part of the transvidual element might only be in the order of l%VY over i 2,922,92? Patented Jan. 26,1960

or dieletric medium of the element or the dielectric medium of the capacitor by the arc. Such gas generation ordinarily continues until the entire capacitor explodes.

The condition, of course, may be a cumulative one in which several capacitor elements or capacitors will fail inl succession until a system overload occurs.

The present invention is concerned with a remedy for v the above described situation and there is disclosed and described herein a power capacitor which avoids the diiculties hereinbefore described. According to the invention, a capacitor is provided with a circuit interruption arrangement which is incorporated in the bushing of the capacitor. The circuit interrupter is in two parts,

either of which may operate independently of the other.

gas inthe interior of the capacitor housing, and when v;- that pressure increases beyond a certain amount, the cir-- the normal current. Similarly, an. entire capacitor `might become short circuited and, by reason 'of being connected in series ,with capacitors. in a string, the. total change of current would be insufficient to operate such v fusing devices. l, :t v

Likewise, overload circuit breakers are inelfective for the saniereason, Y'and',"additionally, for the reasonk that large ytransients ordinarily occur in the system, which would cause' falsevoperation of a circuit breaker of the usual type.` v

To this extent, the'problem is generally `similar to that involved in certain other types of electrical equipment. However, inthe capacitor art, a further factor is involved; na'mely,"fthat the presence of a failed capacitor element in a capacitor,A together with the continuation of the ow Y a complete short circuit within the capacitor.

cuit to the capacitor elements Within that broken. Suchsinterruption apparatus functions partic-4 elements is interrupted when the current to the capacitor increases very substantially, such as might be caused by Thus, the

This feature is important in that the condition of a capacitor or bank of capacitors may be determined by observation alone.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a method of and means for protecting capacitors and electric current responsive means operatively asso` ciated with electric power capacitors.

be incorporated in an electric power capacitor and which will function to protect the capacitor and its associated circuits.

A still further object or" the invention is to provide an improved bushing for electric power capacitors which incorporates improved contacting means for the condenser elernents and which incorporates circuit interrupting means and a capacitor condition indicator.

A more general object of the invention is to prevent l explosions of enclosed electric power equipment. t

The invention will be moreA clearly Vunderstood by ref-'v erence to the detailed specification and claims taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view, partly` in section and partly broken away, of a bushing constructed in accordance with the invention; ,y l

Fig. 2 is a vplan view taken in the direction 2-,2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. s is 'a sectional view taken' in thdiretioriga-s in Fig. 1;

Pig. v4 is a view partly in section of the fuse block and link of the bushing of Fig. 1;

lig. 5 is a view, similar to. that of Fig. l, of a bushing which comprises a second embodiment of the invention;

llng. 6 is a fragmentary view intended to represent further embodiments of the invention',` l

Fig. v7 is an elevationview, partly broken away, of a capacitor incorporating t-wo bushings, at least'` one of' which is 'constructed 'nA accordance with the invention;

Fig. 8 isl a top plan view of theY capracitorf'ofl Fig'. 7;

andY

Fig. 9 isa diagram illustratingA theV mannerginwhich.

screw 36. The member 35 serves in part as a terminal for thev bushing and yaconductor 37 may bereceived between the member 31 and the member 35 lto connect the element of the capacitor to the bushing. The member 31 is of pressboard and serves to increase the leakage distance and tiash over distance from the terminal member 35 to the container 16.

Referring now also to Fig. 4,Y the member 34 is connected to the latching member 30 by means vof an arrangement which includes a spring 38, a fuse wi're-39,'l and a fnseheolder 40. The fuse wire 39 is formedV of a fusable metallic conducting material andhas the lower end received inV an opening 41 in the member 34 vand is soldered thereto. The fuse wire is formed as( a coil 42 which extends upwardly within thegspring 38, through Y an opening `43 in the fuse tube 44, and about the shank age' distance along the outside of VtheY member. The l ceramic member 11 Vis formed with a taperedY surface 14v atthe lower endv thereofto cooperate withl an annular flange 15 of a housing 16: The surface 1'4is metallized" so thata soldered joint and seal 1-7 may be 'formedbe tween the ceramicrmemberl and the housing.

As shown and described herei the housing: 16 concapacitor.

capacitors. Y

The bushing 10 servesas a terminal' for the capacitor, providing electrical connection from the capacitorclementswithin the housing 1 6to an external circuit', and

also to protect the capacitor by responding tothe pre's- Y sure within the interior of the housing V16A and' interrupt the connection VVto the elements when. thev gas pressure within the housing increases sufficiently. Y l

The bushing 10 includes, at the upper end ofthe ceramic member 11, a metallic Yterminal member 19l having Van elongate threaded upper part 201and anopen annular lower part 21 which extends over the upper end of the ceramic member 11. AA diaphragm 22 isv fitted" in the interiorfof the open part 21 andl a disclike plate 23 is disposed below the diaphragm22A to form a chamber 24. 1 The periphery of the plate 23 vand the depending portions ofV the diaphragm 22 are suitably brazedpr welded to each other and to the part 21 of ,theV member 19.-v The plate 23 and'diaphragm 22 are solderedtothe metallizedV upper part.25 of theY ceramic member 11j andV a seal-26 is formed between the insider of the' part`21 and the diaphragm 22, and the ceramic body 11.l The plate 23`Yhas a projecting central p ortion27 which isfttted into' the opening 12.

The plate 23 has an opening28 in the downwardly projecting portion 27- which provides communication between the interiorl of increasein gaspressure in chamberv 24, in anlinverted position inV which the piece 291 is withdrawn from` the opening28'and the piece 30.

Atitsf lower end, the bushing 10` is provided? with an annular insulating member 31-having a. atdisclike partr the opening V12 and the chamber 24.V The diaphragm 22 carries' a 'tubular' locking piece 29k whichprojects inftothe opening 28 and Vholds a U-shaped* vpiece 30'tomaintain an electrical connection between the piece 30the plate 23, and the terminal member 19, orto release the piece 30'to break the electrical connection. To this end1 the diaphragm 22 is a two positionA device, resting either in the position shown inv Fig. 1, or, jupon portion .of the latching member 30. The spring 38 is attached at its lower end tothe member 34 by means of a threaded' part 45 and isy held at its upper end to the fuse holder `40gby means of' a threaded collar |46 which is ttedl over the reduced 'upper endg portion of' the fuse` tube 4,4.` The fuse tube 44 bears upon a bent portion 47 of 'the' fusewire and the spring" 38 is under tension so 'i thatfa withdrawal' force is constantly exerted upon'the 25 stitutes an'enclosurevfor ka plurality 0f capacitor elements, illustrated symbolically at 18, VtoV constitute, a power The invention is, however, as hereinafter set" forth, Yuseful for application to apparatusv other "than` ceramic and serves to confine the heat generated inthe partv of the fuse wire' within' the opening 43. The fuse: wire'is'thus caused to melt'at lower currents thanwtmld otherwise be possible andthe fusing function is localized to thatpart of the fuse link which is enclosedv within the fuse tube. v

The latching member 30 Ihas the end'portionsV 49 and`fA ctthe arms of the member bent outward at va slightl angle to engage the plate 23'when the diaphragm122 isA in itsnormal positionfwith the locking member 29 pro- The member 30 is therefore retained in position against the pull of thefspringy 38 which is exerted upon the clevis throughthe fuse holder 40 and the part 48 ofthe fuse wire 39.Y The chamber 2'4 is, however, in communication with the interior ofthe housing 16 through the opening 12`so that, as the pres sure Ywithin the housing,V increases, .the diaphragm, 4 2 2 moves upwardly and away Vfrom the plate l23:. When the pressure has increased suiciently so thaty the diaphragm springs `to its alternate position and the member 29 -is withdrawn -from between the arms ofthe member"30'- the arms spring'inwardly and the latching member is drawn downward to break the circuit betweentheterf] minal member 35 and the terminal member 19. Similar-y" 1y, the circuit between vhe terminalV members is broken.

whenV the Vportion y48,'of thefuse wire 39'l i`s melted andJ the fuse holder drawn downwardbyV the springv38..v

external conductoris connected to the terminal member 19 byl means offtwo clamps 55 Vand 56`whicl1areV titted over the rpart 20 in opposed relationship` to I the conductor receiving openings 57 -and 58. Theclampsj 32 abutting the end of the ceramic body 11 and a Atubular part 33jfitted wit 'n the opening 12 of the body. The Iinsulating member 31 is held by a tlat disclike metallic member 35 which is secured to, afcylindrical member 34,

positioned within the tubularvpart 33, by means of a 55.and 56-.are held by a nut 59- and have the compressionthereon, maintained by two Bellville washers 60. 4

The bushingis providedlwith anV indicator tor-V showing theeondition of the, breaker and of thecapacitor apparatuswith which thebushing is utilized. Specifically, they indicator comprises. a telltalemember 61, carried upon ajbolt 62, which extends through an opening 63-,longi`' tudinally 'through the partA 20 of the mer'rlberv 19, and isl soldered 'to thek diaphragm 22.k 'When' therdiaphragm': 22 moves to an upward position, so that the piece`30` is released, the part 61 isY moved upwardly away from the upper end of the part 20 to indicate that thecircuit'breaker has been operated; Y Y, v

In; operation, electric current ilows tov and fro'rirtl're.V

external conductor andthe capacitor elements 18', through the terminal member.1.9,themember 23,7the memberV 30';i

the fu'se wire 39, the member 34, the terminal member 35, and the conductor 37. If, during the operation'ofy the capacitor, any ofthe elements 18 fail, by reason of a failure of the dielectric material of the condenser, `so as to generate a gas, thereactive currents will not increase sufficiently to operate the fuse. However, over a period of time, the pressure in the interior of the housing 16 will increase suiciently so that the diaphragm 22 is urged to its-,alternate position, thus withdrawing the locking piece 29 and releasing the latching member 30. The member 30 is thereupon drawn downward from contact with the plate 23 by the spring 38-to` open the circuit. T he movement ofthe 'diaphragm22 moves the indicator 61 upwardto show thata defective condition has occurred. y

If, however, the nature of the average current to substantially,

failure is such that the the capacitor elements is increased c g. as-by a complete short circuit of several of the e ements, the current ythrough the fuse wire 39 willj increase to. such a point that the port-ion of the wire within the fuse tube 44 will overheat and cause the fuse wire` to melt.- Thereupon, the spring 38 draws the fuse holder`40 downward to open the circuit between the niember 34 and the piece 30. The increase in average fuse tube 44.

Referring now to Fig. 5, there is shown an alternate embodiment of .the invention in which a bushing 65, which is similar in certain respects to the bushing 10 of Fig. 1, comprises an elongate ceramic member 66 having an opening 67 longitudinally through the member, and a plurality of petticoats or `skirts 68 von the outside of the body. The body 66 is provided, at its upper end, with a terminal member 69, somewhat similar to the member 19 of Fig. 1, and soldered to the metallized upper end 70 and provided with a seal 71. The member 69 has a threaded part 72 over which is received two Bellville washers 73,l conductor clamps 74 and 75, and a nut 76. A tapered lower portion 77 of Ithe body 66 is soldered to an annular flange 78 ofthe housing 79.

The bushing 65 is provided, at its lower end and within the housing 79, with an insulating member 80 which has a tubular part 81 extending Vupward within the bore 67. Abellows 82 is carried by a rectangular frame 83, andl is held adjacent to member80 by the action of spring 87. The frame 83 has an opening 84 in the side of the frame adjacent the member 80 which receives a U-shaped piece 85, corresponding to the member 30 of Fig. 1, and a cooperating locking piece 86 carried by the bellows 82 corresponding to the piece 29 carried by the diaphragm 22. The clevis 85 has a spring 87 attached to its upper end by brazing.

The spring 87 is held at its upper 88, similar to the fuse holder 40 shown in Fig. 4. A fuse wire 89 passes through the fuse tube and is attached at its upper end to a stud 90 which is screwed into the terminal member 69. The fuse wire 89 is connected at its lower end to the clevis 85 by means of a conductor 91 end by a fuse holder In operation, the bushing of Fig. ilar to that of the bushing in Fig. lease of the latching member 85 is determined fully by the change in pressures within the housing 79 and the characteristics of the bellows 82. The diaphragm arrangement of Fig. 1, although subject to changes in external pressure, tends to operate stably at well defined changes in pressure upon the diaphragm since the characteristics of the diaphragm itself, in moving from one position to the alternate position, are subject to close control. While the characteristics of the bellows are somewhat less precise, the arrangement of Fig. is nonetheless a great improvement over anything which has heretofore been known in the art.

5 is substantially sim- 1, except that the revber 95 may be the piece 30 of The invention is not limited to the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 5, wherein both pressure controlled circuit interruption and current controlled circuit interruption is utilized. Either bushing may be adapted for use where only pressure controlled interruption alone is desired and there is shown in Fig. 6 an arrangement whereby the fuse holder is omitted and the upper end of the breaker spring connected directly to the upper terminal member. As shown yi'n Fig. 6, the spring 9 3, corresponding to either the 'spring 38 or the spring 87, is held by a threaded bushing 94 which is riveted to a member 95. The mem- Fig. l, or, in the embodiment of the invention of Fig. 5, may be a separate member which is held by the stud 90 and the terminalmember 69. A separate conductor may be utilized as a shunt for the spring 93 because of relatively high resistance of the spring, although in certain applications the spring -itself may be utilized as the conductor as in Fig. 6. Also,

when practicing the embodiment of the invention of Fig.

1, without the fusing arrangement, the spring 93 may be brazed directly to the member 30 in the same manner as is shown in Fig. 5.

Similarly, the bushing may be utilized with current controlled interruption alone by omitting the diaphragm or bellows and connecting the fuse wire to the upper terminal member, as in Fig. 5, and the spring to the lower terminal member, as in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8, there is shown a capacitor 100, constructed in accordance with the present invention, in which two bushings 101 and 102, either or both of which may be, for example, the bushing of Fig. 1. The capacitor comprises a housing 103 of sheet metal construction and having domed ends 104 and 105 which are adapted to impart suicient strength to the housing in order to resist distention of `the walls and volume changes with increase in internal pressure, such as might be caused by failure of a capacitor element.

The capacitor elements 106 are suitably mounted within the housing 103 and enclosed` by a fiber member 107. The elements are connected to each other, in suitable series or parallel arrangement, and to the bushings 101 and V102 by means of conductors 108. The housing 103 is at least partially filled to immerse the capacitor elements in a suitable liquid dielectric Ymedium such as mineral oil. Alternatively, a known gaseous insulating medium may be utilized.

The dielectric medium within the capacitor housing is designated in the claims as a fluid posed entirely of liquid, in the lower part of the part of the housing.

Upon the failure of a capacitor element 106, an electric arc is formed between adjacent foil layers with a consequent generation of various gases. The particular gases generated will depend upon the nature either of the dielectric medium of the capacitor and of the paper which is utilized as the dielectric medium of the condenser element. Thus, for example, where the liquid dielectric medium of the capacitor is a mineral oil, the gases formed will be predominantly hydrogen, with water in the form of steam, and carbon dioxide; and, where a chlorinated diphenol is utilized, hydrogen-dioxide and carbon dioxide. The dielectric paper will produce complex hydro-carbons with gaseous hydrogen predominating, water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Whatever the particular gases generated, however, the mechanism is the Same, c g., the evolution of the gases by the arc produces an increase in the pressure within the housing 103.

The general mode of employment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 9 wherein a line 110, comprising conductors 111 and 112, is provided for transmitting power currents from a source to a load. A bank of capacitors, comprising the capacitors 113, 114, and 115 connected in a series string, is connected in shunt with the line to reduce the lagging power factor thereof and theremedium, whether comentirely of a gas, or of a liquid housing and a gas in the upper by improve theV powerv handling capability of thefline The cap'acitors are, permanently connected 'to the linev 110` and are each. vpro 'ded withzthe indicator shown' in. Fig. '1; The operation of the system is suchfthat the capacitor bank may be inspected at periodical intervals to'determin'e the condition of the capacitors, eg. whetherthe're has been any lfailure in the capacitor bank.

lt isto be'understood that the foregoing description is not `intended torestrict the scope of the invention and thatvarious rearrangements of the parts and modifications ofthe'designrmay be resorted to, giving effect to a liberal interpretation to the claims as herein set forth.

'I claim: Y v Y 1. A bushing yfor use with capacitors and the like coniprising a ceramicbody having a'longitudinal opening, a

rst terminal means aty the upper end of the body including and annular piece received over the body and attached thereto, a diaphragmv and apiece extending transversely across the interior of the annular member and to form a chamber having the diaphragm as a .Wall thereof, and an opening in the Vpiece communicating -with the opening Vin the ceramic body forV transmitting a pressure medium to lthe chamber, an elongate piece projecting upwardly from the annular member for receiving a connector and an opening longitudinally through, the elongate' piece, a

part of the first disclikemember, a U-shaped member ofv spring material having armsthere'of received'in the open- Y ing in the saijd tirstdisclike member, and a locking piece carriednby .the diaphragm and' projecting into thesaid opening in the armsV of the U-shaped member to hold the' U-shaped member in position against theY disclike member, a helical spring attached'at the one end thereof to ther said piece of the said second terminal means, ,and

member received in the opening and resting atl the lower f end thereof on the diaphragm and projecting from the upper `end thereof from the elongate piece for indicating the relative position of the diaphragm, terminal means at the, lower end of the ceramic body and means in the longitudinal opening of the ceramic body electrically connecting the said second terminal means with the' said first terminalmeans.

'2; A combined bushing and circuit interruption `apparatus comprising a ceramic body having a longitudinal opening, a rst terminal means at thepper end ofthe body including' a cup shaped first annular member disposed over the body, and a transverse disclike memberv within the annular member abutting the ceramic body with an opening aligned with the opening of the body, andV a` diaphragm within the annular member forming chambers with the annular member and the disclike memberA respectively, asecond terminal'means at the vlower end of the ceramic'body comprising alfdisclike member with a cylindrical portion projecting into the opening in Y the ceramic lbody, and a cooperating diselike member with a cylindrical piece thereon receivedr in the cylindrical means at the remaining end thereof attaching'the spring to the said U-shapedmember,

U-shaped memben. y s 3. yThe invention in -accordance'vwith claim 2 in `which the saidl attaching means comprlses ascylindrical'memb'er:

of insulating material with an openingl longitudinally therethrough, a sleeve received over the. cylindricalr member with the spring threaded on the sleeve andthe meansI connecting electrically comprises a wire of fusible ,maf-V terial extending fromtheisaid piece of the second terminalrneans through the opening in the cylindrical piece of insulating material to the U-shaped member,Y thewir'e 4. The invention in accordance with claim 2 in whichV 3o the annular member of the first terminal means has an elongated piece projecting upward therefrom for receiving aconnector, a longitudinal opening throughY the elongated piece, and a member Yin the opening operatively actuated bythe diaphragm at the lower end thereofl and projecting above the'elongate piece at the upper-end to serve as an indicator for the position of the diaphragm.r

References Cited-'in the ile of this patent l -UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,899,746V Brown Q Feb. 28, 1933V 1,935,228 Kopeliowitsch 'N0v. 14, 1933 2,103,816 Hart -..u DCC. 28, 1937 2,109,221 Putman k Feb. 22, 1938 2,250,165V MitSChICh July 2.2,v 1941 2,553,291 Barr A Y May 15, 1951 2,678,361 Mitchell ...Q ;'My 11, 1954 2,678,980

Hitchcock May 18, 1954 andY means electrically connecting the said secondl terminal means tov thev said 

